Whispers

It's been a while and that's largely because I really hate this new version of my favorite graphics software, but I'm stuck with it, so here's starting on figuring it out so when I get back into book cover making, it's not awful.

Total Icon Count: 12

Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

Originally posted by fandom_forever at SCREENCAPS: [COMPLETE SERIES] - HD/LOGOLESS

• So successfully participated in three icon challenges.

pairing20in20: Raven/Erik
femme20in20: Rogue
film20in20: Take the Lead

I have a bunch of extra icons from the making of them, so I'll try and post those... Eventually.


• Updated a bunch of LJ fiction and a little FF.net fiction/crossposting.

Dorm Daddy Driver's Ed for lithiumlaughter
LJ Comment Thread or Cleaned Up for FF.net
Some people really did need to learn how to drive.

Pedestal: Chapter 29
Betting touch wasn't supposed to be addictive. Romy drabbles

Iterations of Trust for 100wordstories
Trust must grow organically. You can't force it. Five drabbles.
LJ Prompt Order Post or Reordered for FF.net

Deadly for in_the_blue
Own your own power. Stand-alone drabble: 100 words.
LJ Comment Thread or Cleaned Up for FF.net

Made of Flame for arliddian
She made him what he was, then let him go. Kyro
LJ Comment Thread or Cleaned Up for FF.net

Empty Spaces for trovia
Winter is not cold. Logan/Storm
LJ Comment Thread or Cleaned Up for FF.net

• Edited/Consolidated

The Domestics 0a: The Way to a Girl's Heart
Charles always did know the way to a girl's heart. Spans pre-XMFC to post-X3. [Charles + Raven siblings, St. John/Kitty, Charles/Emma, slight Charles/Moira] | Formerly The Way to a Girl's Heart, Chocolate for a Lady, and Yes (last not integrated quite yet)

The Domestics 3: Family Matters
"Since ya hadn't noticed, swamp rat, Ah'm pregnant, tahred, and tryin' ta sleep at three o'clock in the mornin!" Rogue and Gambit's adventure of going from two to three. Four-shot. | Formerly An Innocent Misunderstanding, Kiss and Make Up, One Out of Three, and Family Matters

Dystopia
Snippets from a world that hates and fears them. A series of drabbles and very short one-shots. [Charles, Erik, Raven, Jubilee, Kitty/Pyro] | Formerly All Things to All People, Humanity of the Cured, Fighting Dystopia, and Refuge.

So my total icon count is at Whispers, and I'm starting to have to really break down the tables to keep things functional.

Here goes:

Original = 46
Misc/Crossover = 6
Mandie Movieverse = 22
Razor Sharp = 15
Roswell = 41
The Secret Garden (1993 Movie) = 8
Take the Lead = 20
X-Men Comicverse = 87
X-Men 919 - Fandom Universe = 3
X-Men Evoverse = 25
X-Men Movieverse

Pentapus = 7
X-General = 5
X-Girls = 220
X-Groups, Pairings, Etc. = 151
X-Guys = 61

GRAND TOTAL = 671


:headdesk: This is where my time goes when I procrastinate.

Raven/Erik icons for pairing20in20:


10 THEMES

first	broken	far away	dark	happy
bold	inside	texture	top	bottom

5 CATEGORY; HUSH

cat #1	cat #2	cat #3	cat #4	cat #5

5 ARTIST'S CHOICE

artist's choice #1	artist's choice #2	artist's choice #3	artist's choice #4	artist's choice #5

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However, this is my procrastination: more icon experimentation and signing back up for the next pairing20in20. (I hereby conclude I need therapy.)

Use freely. Credit as you like.



( Icons )

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Trying some new styles. In reverse filename order, 'cause Photobucket's wonky today. :growls under breath: Use freely. Credit nice, but not required.

Total Icon Count: 104

Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

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For pairing20in20:



( Icon Set for pairing20in20 )

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Somebody's rant and then comment made me want to do a comic using caps of movies/actors/etc. for a little mutant soap opera: Baby Makes Three.

Summary: Raven's in big trouble when she tells her brother Charles the truth—he's about to be an uncle, and he decides to wreak vengeance on her boyfriend. The problem: her boyfriend isn't the father.

One panel done. I am officially nuts.

I love therefore...
• I'm a sucker for beautiful worldbuilding and this has made me wish once again I was an artist so I could make Vardin as beautiful as I envision it: The Morae River by Brynn Metheney.


I read therefore...
• Eight Against Reality | Panverse Publishing
So this is one I won from the lovely Juliette Wade, whose story opens this collection. Eight SFF short stories. Overall: well worth the buy.

"The Eminence's Match" by Juliette Wade was fabulously written and well nuanced. My only gripe is I wanted more. It didn't feel finished to me, but ah well. It was awesome anyway.

I normally like Aliette de Bodard and everything she writes. I hated this story of hers—"The Lonely Heart," I think—and actually cut it out of my book so I'd never have to see it again.

This was followed by a squid scripty/story thing. It was gross. It didn't merit my scissors—yet, anyway—but I won't reread it. Ever.

Now, "Man's Best Enemy" by Janice Hardy was an awesome little adventure story with a lot of heart and big, nasty dogs. I doubt they'll ever redomesticate these guys.

"Kip Running" by Genevieve Williams disappointed. The action was great, the idea was great, the goal and lack of achieving it was a letdown. The story didn't mean anything, unless it was, "Don't live in a fantasy world."

"Spoiling Veena" by Keyan Bowes was...um...interesting. Veena was certainly spoiled, but it was portrayed as all working out okay. I was uninspired and did not really like it. Kids are not meant to always have their way.

"Dancing by Numbers" by Dario Ciriello was a bit odd with multiple universes through one dancer finding her center of focus, but it reminded me of some of L'Engle's best work and I admit, I enjoyed it. Not sure if it'll become a reread for me, but it was definitely nice for a one-off.

"Love, Blood, and Octli" by T.L. Morganfield was exactly what I would have expected from Aliette de Bodard, a god with two opposing natures and the humans battling for power or goodness. I loved this story.

Best of the batch: "The Eminence's Match," "Man's Best Enemy," and "Love, Blood, and Octli." I give it an 8 out of 10.


I write therefore...
• Complete: Giftfic for ineedmyfics. So excited. Weighed in at 1110 words all said, and I finally figured out the names of these two characters (mentioned once each in a 500 pg book!). And it's good too!

• My regular fiction pen name has been suffering lately. I need to get 2-3 items written for the week and am coming up brain-dry. Somebody, please prompt me.


I hope therefore...
• I want to find a good artist for Vardin. But... I am currently on the poor side. So, hm. I'm trying to think if there's anyone I know that would be willing to illustrate for free to start and we put a tip jar out for their art. Of course, first I got to finish some more stories.

• This post is an exercise in patience. My goal is to only post one major post with all the brain litter I've collected throughout the day. (Note to self: don't count on it, but try anyway.)


I think therefore...
• I think I'm going to let ficspam die by way of neglect. It never did for me what I was hoping, and it's gorgeous, but I like 15_minute_draft better. Eventually, I want to get all my websites up better, instead of just trying to move the whole lot of madness onto LJ.

• I don't think I like AO3. I've tried it again and again, and it's a pain to upload on, it's a pain to browse on, and it's a pain to use. Plus, nobody there knows me, and I don't feel like transferring 70 fics to a place that doesn't really seem to have much use for me. I won't pull it down, but I think I will let my AO3 account die by way of neglect.

• I've noticed Calindria and Vardin are quite similar in tone. However, I still want to keep the work separate 'cause there is such a different focus. Haven't figured out yet if the different pen name is enough on that front.

• Patience is a virtue—that I am still acquiring.